I got admitted by USC and BU. For BU, it is the banking and financial program, USC--general program. So I wonder if anyone could give me your idea on such two schools and help me make my decision. It is difficult for me to choose since the ranking of these 2 schools are very close.

I think you should take a holistic view of things. The advantage with USC is that a foreign lawyer can appear for the California bar. Otherwise, both LA and Boston are big cities. Another factor to keep in mind is what specialization one would like to do. If I am not mistaken, USC is quite an expensive school. What opportunities one will have after the completion of the course is another factor?

By the way, I have also been admitted to the banking and financial law LLM program at BU for 2010-2011. I have also got through UCLA and UT-Austin, but might go for BU.

Which country are you from? If you choose BU, do let me know?

I just graduated from the USC LLM program this year, from my experience, I think USC has three major advantages as follows:

1. I think most LLM students do care about the bar exam and this is one of the most important parts of our one year studying. I think USC law does a great job for the bar preparation for all law school students. For example, Professor Heilman (also teaches for barbri) who teaches two courses specifically catered to the Bar exam in USC, will give students four workshops (4 hours for one workshop) about bar preparation in the second semester, which is really great help to the students, especially the foreign students.
This year, there was an excellent JD student who led a bar preparation group study every Saturday for 4 hours in USC law school for LLM students who are interested. The G&IP office provides many materials and help that students need for the bar exam.
2. USC law school has a good mentorship program, where every LLM student is paired with a JD partner, allowing LLM students to communicate with and share resources with JD students. This encourages LLM students to know and learn more from the native speaker, and also provides the LLM student with the opportunity to benefit from the USC law school network.
3. I think USC law school does a very good job in providing various services to their students. The USC LLM program has around 100 students every year, and there are 7 staff to help us in daily studying. Whenever you need help about class, job, bar preparation, or in any other matters, they will give you professional and effective advice as you need.

USC, of course, why not!!

Congratulations on your graduation! I was admitted to USC with a scholarship but decided not to go for various reasons. USC is a great law school. But... I have one question : I was told by a fellow student of yours that this year the pairing with the JD students did not happen. Was this information false ?

Congratulations on your graduation! I was admitted to USC with a scholarship but decided not to go for various reasons. USC is a great law school. But... I have one question : I was told by a fellow student of yours that this year the pairing with the JD students did not happen. Was this information false ?

I graduated from the LLM program at USC in 2009, and will try to provide some answers to the issues mentioned above.

1. Students giving up admissions to USC

Although I have no firsthand knowledge of students giving up their admissions to USC, there may be a few reasons why some may choose to do so. The first thing that comes to my mind is their possible preference for schools on the east coast for their locality. Big metropolitan cities like NYC may be very attractive to some people. They may also choose another school for their specific area of interest, e.g., environmental law, IP etc.

Personally, I too used to be a great fan of NYC, but it all changed ever since coming to LA for my studies at USC. I visited NYC after living in LA for a year, and was shocked to see the difference in quality of life between the two cities. In the summer in NYC, the weather was humid, the subway was stuffy and stinky, it would suddenly start raining, and you can't get taxis -- the list goes on. New Yorkers pay almost twice as much the rent as LA people, and get less for their money in shops and restaurants. Then you have to fight with the snow and freezing weather in the winter. In striking contrast, LA has warm weather all year around with a dry summer and a mild winter. You will enjoy the sunshine, ocean breeze, and perfect blue sky most time of the year. Having better weather means you get to enjoy more outdoor activities, such as going to the beach, hiking, surfing, etc. LA also offers a great number of trendy bars, restaurants, and clubs peppered throughout the city. What I also appreciate most about LA is its unique mix of diverse cultures all in their most authentic forms.

USC Law has special strengths in corporate and entertainment law. Starting this year, USC will launch its Business Law and Entertainment Law certificate programs. See the following links for more info:

http://mylaw2.usc.edu/portal/academics/registration/reg/BusCertificate.cfm

http://mylaw2.usc.edu/portal/academics/registration/reg/EntCertificate.cfm

2. JD/ LLM Partnership Program at USC

I personally organized the JD/ LLM Partnership Program last year, so have inside knowledge of the program. Around 100 LLMs and 90 JDs took part last year, and the shortfall in the JDs was made up by matching up multiple LLMs with a JD. This method became very successful in the end, because LLMs could meet more JDs this way, and more informal gatherings started growing organically. For example, I personally attended some dinners with 8 LLMs and 5 JDs, and they regularly met up for meals and drinks, almost too many times that I couldn't join them a few times!

If any people were not matched with partners it's probably because they submitted their application late. We even tried to accommodate the late comers by paring them up with JDs who already had partners.

The program was a record success last year, and we plan to expand the program even further to cultivate authentic friendships and networking opportunities between the JD and LLM student bodies.

Final remark: USC should be your first choice school, based on a strong track record of highest student satisfaction among the grads. Hope you can all join the USC LLM family!

Yumi

Hello. So it is possible to take the Bar after completing the LLM program at USC?

@chincho : yes it is. Infact, you don't even need the LLM to apply for bar in California. You can check the numerous other posts on this website discussing this thread.

@ yahn and huhuhu2010: Since you guys are past students of USC llm, could you tell us the career prospects after finishing the course and passing the bar for foreign lawyers? I am final year law student in the process of deciding whether spending 70000 dollars on LLM ( and extra amount on bar) is worth it. Is there a possibility of finding a normal-reasonable paying job, that one can build up on later. Anyone from your class or network who has a successful story?

I know this topic has been beaten to death, but you must understand the anxiety of LLM applicants very well, considering you were once too. Any views would be appreciated!

Thx :-)

Yes, but I have foreign Bachelors is that enough for the Bar?. Sorry for asking, but you got me curious.

Obviously one needs to be a law graduate to be admitted to any bar. Else, it would be like letting an economics student become a professional doctor. In addition to being a law graduate one needs to be licensed to practice in a foreign jurisdiction. This is just for California bar, and rest of the states have their own requirements. For example, NY bar requires a study of at least 20 credits (this can be fulfilled by the LLM degree.)

You can always check out the California bar exam website for more information. It has a specific link for foreign lawyers. But, bear in mind that only a foreign 'lawyer' and neither undergraduate or graduate will be allowed to appear for the bar exam.

I got admitted by USC and BU. For BU, it is the banking and financial program, USC--general program. So I wonder if anyone could give me your idea on such two schools and help me make my decision. It is difficult for me to choose since the ranking of these 2 schools are very close.

@ yahn and huhuhu2010: Since you guys are past students of USC llm, could you tell us the career prospects after finishing the course and passing the bar for foreign lawyers? I am final year law student in the process of deciding whether spending 70000 dollars on LLM ( and extra amount on bar) is worth it. Is there a possibility of finding a normal-reasonable paying job, that one can build up on later. Anyone from your class or network who has a successful story?

I know this topic has been beaten to death, but you must understand the anxiety of LLM applicants very well, considering you were once too. Any views would be appreciated!

Thx :-)

I graduated from the LLM program at USC in 2009, and will try to provide some answers to the issues mentioned above.

1. Students giving up admissions to USC

Although I have no firsthand knowledge of students giving up their admissions to USC, there may be a few reasons why some may choose to do so. The first thing that comes to my mind is their possible preference for schools on the east coast for their locality. Big metropolitan cities like NYC may be very attractive to some people. They may also choose another school for their specific area of interest, e.g., environmental law, IP etc.

Personally, I too used to be a great fan of NYC, but it all changed ever since coming to LA for my studies at USC. I visited NYC after living in LA for a year, and was shocked to see the difference in quality of life between the two cities. In the summer in NYC, the weather was humid, the subway was stuffy and stinky, it would suddenly start raining, and you can't get taxis -- the list goes on. New Yorkers pay almost twice as much the rent as LA people, and get less for their money in shops and restaurants. Then you have to fight with the snow and freezing weather in the winter. In striking contrast, LA has warm weather all year around with a dry summer and a mild winter. You will enjoy the sunshine, ocean breeze, and perfect blue sky most time of the year. Having better weather means you get to enjoy more outdoor activities, such as going to the beach, hiking, surfing, etc. LA also offers a great number of trendy bars, restaurants, and clubs peppered throughout the city. What I also appreciate most about LA is its unique mix of diverse cultures all in their most authentic forms.

USC Law has special strengths in corporate and entertainment law. Starting this year, USC will launch its Business Law and Entertainment Law certificate programs. See the following links for more info:

http://mylaw2.usc.edu/portal/academics/registration/reg/BusCertificate.cfm

http://mylaw2.usc.edu/portal/academics/registration/reg/EntCertificate.cfm

2. JD/ LLM Partnership Program at USC

I personally organized the JD/ LLM Partnership Program last year, so have inside knowledge of the program. Around 100 LLMs and 90 JDs took part last year, and the shortfall in the JDs was made up by matching up multiple LLMs with a JD. This method became very successful in the end, because LLMs could meet more JDs this way, and more informal gatherings started growing organically. For example, I personally attended some dinners with 8 LLMs and 5 JDs, and they regularly met up for meals and drinks, almost too many times that I couldn't join them a few times!

If any people were not matched with partners it's probably because they submitted their application late. We even tried to accommodate the late comers by paring them up with JDs who already had partners.

The program was a record success last year, and we plan to expand the program even further to cultivate authentic friendships and networking opportunities between the JD and LLM student bodies.

Final remark: USC should be your first choice school, based on a strong track record of highest student satisfaction among the grads. Hope you can all join the USC LLM family!

Yumi

I got admitted by USC and BU. For BU, it is the banking and financial program, USC--general program. So I wonder if anyone could give me your idea on such two schools and help me make my decision. It is difficult for me to choose since the ranking of these 2 schools are very close.